Ted Cruz quit on rock ‘n’ roll because of 9/11

Politicians and pundits often say “9/11 changed everything.” In Sen. Ted Cruz’s case, it apparently even meant a change in his taste in music.

The Texas Republican, who announced Monday he would seek the GOP nomination for president in 2016, told the hosts of “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday that the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon turned him into a modern-day version of the John Lithgow character from “Footloose.”

“I grew up listening to classic rock, and I’ll tell you sort of an odd story: My music taste changed on 9/11,” Cruz said. “I actually intellectually find this very curious, but on 9/11, I didn’t like how rock music responded.” The senator did not give specifics about what musicians or songs he took offense to but did offer his solution to his crisis of faith in rock.

“Country music, collectively, the way they responded, it resonated with me,” Cruz added. “I had an emotional reaction that said, ‘These are my people. So ever since 2001 I listen to country music.”

Apparently Cruz will make exception for religious-themed music — a so-called “gospel rock” band reportedly performed at his first major campaign event at Liberty University on Monday.